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Mayor Frank G. Jackson Proposes Legislation to invest$5 million into the Lead Safe Home Fund

Monday, November 25, 2019

CLEVELAND – Mayor Frank G. Jackson today will introduce legislation for the City of Cleveland to invest $5 million into the newly-launched Lead Safe Home Fund. Similarly, The George Gund Foundation, Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, the Saint Luke’s Foundation and the State of Ohio have thus far pledged a combination of $5.1 million bringing the total in the Lead Safe Home Fund to $10.1 million.

“The City of Cleveland is making a significant investment of $5 million into the Lead Safe Home Fund and we are committed to seeing this work through,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “I thank all of our partners for their hard work and contributions. We are always successful as a city when we do things as one community. Our success in this effort will depend on all of us working together –all of us have a role to play.”

The City of Cleveland and these organizations are among the 380+ members of Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, the community effort managing the Fund. The Lead Safe Home Fund is a public-private partnership to support effective, enforceable, and equitable solutions to lead poisoning by providing support for property owners and families. It will achieve these solutions through a spectrum of lead safe home loans grants and a resource center to provide system navigation, workforce development, and resident services.

“The Gund Foundation is proud to stand alongside Mayor Jackson and contribute to ongoing work to make Cleveland lead safe. Our investment into the Lead Safe Home Fund is an investment in our children, in our housing stock, and ultimately in the future of our community,” said David Abbott, Executive Director of The George Gund Foundation. “We are especially eager to support a timely launch of the Lead Safe Resource Center. Every dollar to the Fund brings us one step closer to protecting another child and fixing another home.”

The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition set a five-year, $99.4 million budget for the Lead Safe Home Fund, a measured amount that signifies the true need. The Coalition has been working for months to structure a transparent and flexible Lead Safe Home Fund - managed outside of government – and is currently in the process of capitalizing the Fund and selecting expert, mission-driven Administrators to serve as long-term operators.

“The city’s commitment to the Lead Safe Home Fund is further evidence that the public-private partnership to prevent lead poisoning has taken root,” said Mitchell Balk, President of the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation. “We are on the cusp of the implementation phase of a well-crafted plan to make Cleveland lead safe in 10 years. We hope Mt. Sinai’s initial investment will encourage our many community partners to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to address lead poisoning once and for all.”

The Coalition marks an important milestone today, but the work continues. The Coalition is actively seeking investments into the Fund. Lead poisoning affects everyone and as a community, Cleveland must take responsibility for addressing it together.

“On behalf of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, I’d like to thank Mayor Jackson and all of our community partners for their champion investments into the Lead Safe Home Fund,” said Augie Napoli, CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland and Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Steering Committee Member. “We are witnessing an unparalleled partnership. We’ve been saying it from day one – everyone will have a role to play in making Cleveland lead safe. We promised that no stone would be left unturned. There is far more work to do, but today we make a down payment on that promise.”

Pledged Community Investments Thus Far:

The George Gund Foundation - $2 million over 5 years

Mt Sinai Health Care Foundation - $1 million over 3 years

Saint Luke’s Foundation - $120,000 over 1 year

State of Ohio - $2 million over 2 years

“The Lead Safe Ordinance was the first step in a long journey to prevent lead exposure in Cleveland,” said Councilman Blaine Griffin. It is great to see this Public/Private partnership invest in the people of Cleveland by providing the resources we need to be successful.”

About the City of Cleveland

The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at www.city.cleveland.oh.us, Twitter at @cityofcleveland or Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland.

About Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition

The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition is an inclusive, public-private partnership founded to address lead poisoning through a comprehensive, preventive, and long-term approach. This approach protects Cleveland’s children by merging smart, adaptable public policies; knowledgeable agencies willing to collaborate; proven community programs and leaders; and public and private sector accountability. With community voice embedded in all aspects, the Coalition is achieved an initial five-point action plan: 1) create community goals; 2) develop lead safe policy recommendations; 3) host the Lead Safe Home Summit; 4) create a Lead Safe Home Fund; and 5) advocate for state and federal resources. Initial support for the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition came from the City of Cleveland, the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, the George Gund Foundation, the Saint Luke’s Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, the Bruening Foundation, the Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Third Federal Foundation, and United Way of Greater Cleveland. Today, the Coalition has nearly 400 members and six working committees and continues to grow. Everyone is encouraged to join us. Email: info@leadsafecle.org. Twitter: @LeadSafeCLE, #LeadSafeCLE.

We are committed to improving the quality of life in the City of Cleveland by strengthening our neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing the diversity of our citizens, and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, raise a family, shop, study, play and grow old.